FCPA as a Strike Breaker

The United Steelworkers sent a request to investigate to the U.S. Justice Department. The union believes Freeport-McMoRan has violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by engaging the bribery of security forces in Indonesia. The Jakarta Post said national police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo admitted his personnel had received ‘meal money’ to guard the company’s gold and copper mine in Grasberg, West Papua. The union is arguing that those payments to police from Freeport-McMoRan’s local subsidiary constitute bribes. Production at the mine has been crippled and infrastructure sabotaged by protesters. Seven people have been killed in clashes between workers and police and mysterious hit and run attacks.

A spokeperson for PT Freeport Indonesia said funds given to security personnel guarding project sites in Papua are allowed under the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, a set of guidelines created by the United States and Britain in 2000 for the extractive industry dealing with security issues. “The support for the government-provided security includes in-kind assistance and monetary allowances to mitigate living costs and the hardship elements of a remote posting assignment to our mining area in Papua,” the statement said.

A member of the Indonesian Forum for the Voluntary Principles for Security and Human Rights, Agus Widjojo, said that security officers should not directly receive “meal money” without reporting it to the Finance Ministry. “It may be true that police officers face particularly tough situations in Papua. But it does not mean they can receive the money directly from Freeport without reporting it to the state’s finance agency,” he said.

Could it be a bribe to pay the police to do their job? The United Steelworkers take the position that Indonesian security personnel are being paid to act in the defense of the interests of Freeport-McMoRan in
conflict with their duty to protect Indonesian people.

At the very least, it’s an interesting strategy by the union to help workers in another country.

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